Story of Emily St. Aubert, the daughter of a wealthy French family whose fortunes have declined.
The novel tells the story of Emily St. Aubert, the daughter of a wealthy French family whose fortunes have declined.
Following her mother's death, Emily and her father, who share a love for nature, embark on a tour from their home in Gascony, France, through the mountains of the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean coast. On their journey, they meet the young Valancourt, who quickly falls in love with Emily.
When Emily's father dies, Emily is forced to live with her aunt and guardian, Madame Cheron, who shows no affection for her and whose husband, the Italian nobleman Montoni, endeavors to force Emily to marry his friend, Count Morano. A characteristic villain, Montoni is cruel and power-hungry, imprisoning Emily and his wife at his secluded castle called Udolpho and threatening his wife to sign over her property to him.
When Montoni discovers that Count Morano is not as rich as he first thought, Montoni refuses to allow Morano to marry Emily and wounds him in a fight when Morano attempts to abduct Emily from Udolpho. Following Madame Cheron's death, Emily manages to escape Udolpho with the help of several servants and returns to her aunt's estate in France, where she discovers that Valancourt, whom she still loves, has lost his fortune. The novel ends happily, with Emily coming into ownership of her aunt's property and reuniting with her lover.